Life preserver attachment for two-piece swim suits



M. H. DAVID Sept. 5, 1950 LIFE PRESERVER ATTACHMENT FOR TWO-PIECE SWIM SUITS Filed Sept. 8, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO. Mohlom H.Duvld Sept. 5, 1950 M. H. DAVID 2,521,205

LIFE PRESERVER ATTACHMENT FdR TWO-PIECE SWIM SUITS Filed Sept. 8, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Muhlom H.Duvld Patented Sept. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIFE PRESERVER ATTACHMENT FOR TWO-PIECE SWIM SUITS 4 Claims.

My invention relates to inflatable life preserver attachments for swim suits and the like.

An important object of my invention is to provide an inflatable life preserver attachment for swim suits and the like which, when deflated, will fold into a small compact article easily carried in a bag or pocket.

A further object of my invention is to provide an inflatable life preserver attachment which, by means of slide fastener strips attached thereto, is removably attachable to a swim suit or to underwear, having mating slide fastener strips fastened thereon.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an inflatable life preserver attachment which, when attached to a swim suit or under wear, may be used for life preserving purposes, or for swimming instructions, or swimming in deep water.

A further object of my invention is to provide an inflatable life preserver attachment of the above-mentioned character that may be economically produced in large quantities.

Other objects and advantages embraced in my invention will be disclosed in the following description and in the accompanying illustrations, in which like numbers have reference to like parts, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my inflatable life preserver attachment, deflated.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of my invention, inflated.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a one piece swim suit or suit of underwear, having mating slide fasteners stitched or attached to the front thereof.

Fig. 4 is a front view showing my inflatable life preserver inflated and attached to a one piece swim suit or suit of underwear.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a two piece suit of underwear or swimming suit, having mating slide fastener strips attached to the upper part and attachable to and detachable from, the lower part thereof.

Fig. 6 is a top view of my inflatable life preserver attachment, taken looking in the direction of lines 6-6 on Fig. 4.

Fig. '7 is a side view of my invention, shown attached to a swimming suit and being worn by a swimmer in the water.

Referring to the illustration, my invention is generally designated 8, and consists of two inflatable tube sections 9, made preferably of rubber, or synthetic rubber, such as used in tire tubes. A tubular collar support and connector Ill, also preferably made of rubber or synthetic rubber, connects the two upper ends of the said inflatable tube sections 9. An inflating valve II is located preferably at the lower end of one of the inflatable tube sections 9, as shown in Fig. 2. separable slide fastener strips [2 are secured on the inner edges of the two inflatable tube sections, and are provided with slide boxes l3 which are shown on the free ends 2| of the slide fastener strips l2 in Fig. 2. Mating slide fastener strips it are stitched, or otherwise attached, preferably along the outside edges of the front of a one piece swim suit or suit of underwear, designated [5, as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 illustrates mating slide fastener strips 24 shown attached to the front of a swim or under" wear shirt H3, and having the bottom ends i1 thereof free. On the under sides of the said free ends I! are secured a number of male snap fasteners 18, which are attachable to female snap fasteners 28, secured on the forward sides of a pair of swim or underwear trunks, designated I9. When two piece swimming suits or underwear are used in connection with my invention as hereinabove described, the free ends I! of the mating slide fastener strips 24 on the shirt are secured by the male snap fasteners l 8 to the female snap fasteners 20 on the trunks thereof.

For use in life preserving purposes my inflatable life preserver attachment 8 may be carried, deflated, in a traveling bag or in the pocket of a coat. A one piece underwear suit, shown in Fig. 3 and designated I5, is worn under the clothes, or a two piece underwear suit, designated l6 and I9 and illustrated in Fig. 5, may be worn.

In case of emergency as when a boat is sinking, the outer clothes are removed, the inflatable life preserver attachment 8 is inflated by means of inflating valve l l and attached to the said underwear by means of the slide fastener strips l2 and mating slide fastener strips I l. The buoyancy of the inflated life preserver attachment 8 will keep a child, or a full grown adult, afloat indefinitely in an upright, or semi-upright, position in the water, as shown in Fig. 7, wherein the swimmer, designated 22, is shown wearing the inflatable life preserver attachment 8 in water, designated 23, with the head maintained above the water. In wearing my inflatable life preserver attachment 8, the collar portion I0 is worn around the neck, as shown in Fig. '7.

My inflatable life preserver attachment 8 may also be of considerable value when used in connection with swimming instruction, holding or maintaining the swimmer in the correct position of carrying about, or having at hand, the large,

heavy and cumbersome life preservers provided for such purposes.

It is to be understood that-changes-may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement-of the several parts, pro- .videdthat such changes fall within thescope of the appended claims.

.Having .thus disclosedand revealed vmyinvenv.tion, what. I claim,as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

..1.. .Lifepreserver means comprisinga two piece .swim suit, separable slide fastener .strip means .,.se.C,11red longitudinallyon each side of the front .part of the said. swimsuit terminatingbelow-the ..Waist-.line,,the said slide fastenerstrip .means' having a loose terminal portion, snap fastener meanswon thesaid loose terminal portion, and

mating snap fastener meanson the lrontportion of the lower section of the said two pieceswim suit, and inflatable ,life .preserver attachment- ..means comprising, a pair. of inflatable tube sections, tubular .collar support and .connector ,means. securing the said tubesections forming .an .invertedU. shape, valve meansprovided on one .ofthesaid tube sections, and mating separable; slideiastener strip means secured to the inner eedgesof. the said tube, sections to be ,detachably assembled to the said first-mentioned slide fastener strip ,means.

Life .preserver means comprising a. twopiece swim suit, v.separableslide fastener strip means secured vlongitudinallyon each side. of .thefront part of the said .swim suit terminating -below thewaist line, the said slide. fastener stripmeans having ,a .loose terminal portion, snap fastener means on the said loose terminal portion, .and .matingsnap fastener means on the .front portion of the lower section of the said two .piece swim suit, and inflatable life preserver attachment means comprising, a pair of inflatable tube sections, tubular collar supportand connector means securing the. said tube sections forming an vin- .verted...U shape, valve means provided on one .of the said tube sections, :and mating separable slidefastener strip means secured to the inner edges of the said tube sections to be detachably assembled to the said first-mentioned slide .fas-

.tener strip means, the said tube sections being substantially of cylindrical cross-sectional configuration.

, 3. Life preserver means comprising a two piece ,,SWim suit, separable .slide fastener strip means secured longitudinally on each side of the front part of the said swim suit terminating below the waist line, the said slide fastener strip means having a loose terminal portion, snap fastener means on the said loose terminal portion, and mating snap fastener means on the front portion of the lower section of the said two piece swim suit, and inflatable life preserver attachment -means-comprising, apairof inflatable tube sec- .tions, tubular collar support and connector means securing the said tube sections forming an inverted U shape, valve means provided on one of the said tube sections, and mating separable "slide'fa-stener strip means secured to the inner edge of'the said tube sections to be detachably assembled to the said first-mentioned slide fastener strip means, the said collar support and connector means being substantially of cylin- -.d-rical cross-sectional configuration and/or relatively smaller diametral magnitude than that of .the. said tube sections.

4. Lifepreserver means. comprising a two piece swim. suit, separableslide fastener strip means .securedlongitudinally on each side of the front .-part of the saidswim suit terminating below the .waist line, .the said slide fastener strip means having a loose terminal portion, snap fastener means on-the said loose terminal portion, and .matingsnap fastenermeans on the front portion of .the lower section of the said two .piece .swim suit, .and inflatable .life preserver attach- .ment means comprisinga pair of inflatable tube sections, tubular collar support and connector .meanssecuringthe. said tube sections forming an -inverted- U shape, valve means provided on one .ofthesaid tube sections, and mating separable slide fastenerstrip means secured to the inner edges of. .the said tube sections to be detachably assembled to the said first-mentioned slide fastener strip means, .thesaid tube sections being .substantiallyof cylindrical cross-sectional con- .flguratiomthe said collar support and connector means being substantially of cylindrical crosssectional configuration andof relatively smaller .diametral magnitude than that-of the said tube sections.

MALHAM H. DAVID.

REFERENCES- CITED The following references'are'of recordin' the ifile-of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,160,252 Brokaw Nov.'16,.1915 1,618,347 McSherry Feb.';22, 1927 1,731,695 Wright Oct. 15, 1929 1,853,386 Sutton Apr. 12, 1932 2,079,220 Mahoney May 4, .1937 .:2,081,68'7 Temchin et al Mayi25, 1937 12,244,454 Freda et-al. Junei3, 1941 2,346,019 Gerich Apr. .4, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 455,336 Great Britain Oct. 19, 1936 

